LAS VEGAS/Interop - Booth #2449 -- May 02, 2005 - Fortinet - the confirmed market leader in Unified Threat Management and only provider of ASIC-accelerated, network-based antivirus firewall systems for real-time network protection - today announced that its FortiGate systems are certified by the ICSA for both Secure Socket Layer (SSL) and IPSec virtual private network (VPN) functionality as part of its integrated network security platform. SSL VPNs are commonly used to securely connect remote offices, telecommuters, and many other computing endpoints that need to be secured such as PCs, laptops, tablets, PDAs, kiosks, and smart phones. Fortinet will be demonstrating this technology at this year's Interop 2005 conference, in Las Vegas, in Fortinet's booth #2449.

Fortinet's new SSL VPN technology provides secure access for remote users without the requirement of a pre-installed client. SSL VPN functionality within Fortinet's FortiGate systems provides an additional level of protection through complete content inspection, which ensures the integrity of customers' VPN traffic. Fortinet customers can now choose between or utilize both ICSA-certified SSL VPN and ICSA-certified IPSec VPN technology, along with a host of other integrated security features in its FortiGate systems, the industry's leading Unified Threat Management security appliances, when to best meet their remote network protection needs.

Large Market Growth for SSL VPNs
SSL VPN is growing in popularity amongst network administrators for secure remote access due to management efficiency and user flexibility advantages. Market researcher IDC estimates that by 2009, the SSL VPN market will reach nearly $900 million in revenue, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 35% from 2004¹. IDC also notes that SSL functionality is part of a larger trend incorporated within security appliance systems like Fortinet's FortiGate systems.

SSL VPNs are client-less, such that administrators do not have to pre-install and manage client VPN software and also sit closer to the application layer, thereby enabling administrators to create application specific policies per user and granular access policies down to specific applications or URLs. Additionally, users access the SSL VPN via a Web browser, thus allowing for anytime, anywhere access. By integrating SSL VPN technology into existing FortiGate systems, customers benefit from their ability to customize SSL VPN into one or more complete content inspection applications including antivirus, firewall, IPSec VPN, intrusion detection and prevention (IDP), content filtering, anti-spam and traffic filtering into a single Unified Threat Management security appliance.

Fortinet's SSL VPN technology includes the following features and benefits:

• Complete Content Inspection: Customers can deploy the FortiGate system's SSL VPN functionality at the network gateway, thereby enabling them to scan all VPN traffic for harmful and malicious content before it reaches critical internal resources -- providing increased network protection for administrators that are managing VPNs. Fortinet's SSL VPN functionality includes complete content inspection through multiple protection engines that detect and discard malicious network traffic and content as it passes through VPNs.
• Integration with Existing FortiGate Systems: By integrating SSL VPN technology into existing FortiGate systems, customers benefit from the combination of complete content inspection and existing key security features into an ASIC-accelerated network security platform. This can be done via a firmware upgrade preserving customers' capital investment and lowering their total cost of ownership since there is no additional piece of network equipment to learn, deploy or manage.
• Flexible, Comprehensive VPN Solution: The integration of SSL VPN and IPSec VPN functionalities into a single FortiGate system enables customers to easily deploy VPNs how and where they best see fit - perhaps opting to deploy IPSec VPNs for secure site-to-site connectivity and SSL VPNs to connect users.
• ICSA-Certified: Fortinet is the only vendor in the industry with five ICSA certifications -- SSL VPN, IPSec VPN, antivirus, firewall and IPS technology. Customers can be assured that Fortinet's FortiGate applications have gone through long and rigorous testing processes.

Fortinet's FortiGate systems are ASIC-accelerated network security appliances designed to deliver a customer's choice of one or a full-suite of best in class security features in real-time -- including antivirus, firewall, VPN, intrusion detection/prevention, content filtering, anti-spam and traffic shaping. The FortiGate family of systems spans the full range of network environments -- including all-sized businesses from small offices to large enterprises, managed security service providers (MSSPs) and carriers -- and offers cost effective systems for a best in class suite of ICSA-certified applications.

"With this announcement, Fortinet is bolstering its security offerings to include SSL VPN technology within its FortiGate systems as part of the industry's widest and deepest network security platform," said Phil Kwan, director of product management for Fortinet. "Customers can benefit from complete content inspection within their VPN traffic as well as the tight integration with our additional essential security features within our FortiGate systems to secure remote users from unwanted and malicious network traffic."

Distribution and availability
Fortinet's SSL VPN technology will be deployable on Fortinet FortiGate systems with the FortiOS v3.0 software, available in 2H 05. For more information on Fortinet's SSL VPN technology, please visit: http://www.fortinet.com/products/